Silver Radiance: Emeralds and Crystals
by Maurice A. Nigma
Summary: Seven powerful forces are arriving to throw a planet out of balance. Different groups go against one another in order to obtain them and only a hero and his friends could stop it. But they're not going to do it alone. Xover


**Disclaimer: **The characters and references used in this chapter of the story belong to the following:

Tales of Symphonia: Bandai Namco.

Sonic the Hedgehog: SEGA

Slayers(anime and manga): Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Arazumi

_The storyline as well as the OCs placed in this fiction are the only things that belong to me. Please don't flame me for giving improper credit or accuse me of stealing or putting the story in the wrong catagory. Also, I would be giving credit for other characters that are going to appear in the next chapter. All that I could say is that I only write this story not only for the fun of it, but for others to enjoy as well. Thanks to the support of my online friends, this story wouldn't have been possible even though it took years to get started. For ToS fans, please bear with me to what I'm writing. Well, enjoy!_

* * *

Lloyd Irving awakened from his deep slumber while feeling sweat rolling down his face. Wiping away the moisture on his forehead, the young traveler took the time in scanning the surrounding area. From what he could survey, the brunette was in the middle of an open clearing of a vast forest. Both the fire and a neatly built tent he saw suggested that the young swordsman must have stopped to rest for the night. Seeing his huge and green, furred, dog-like companion Noishe sleeping near him for protection and warmth settled his mind, for it reminded him that he was not truly alone.

"Of course, it doesn't do much against weird dreams though," Lloyd thought to himself as he turned his gaze towards the top patch clearing of the thicket, allowing him to see the night sky. He recalled the visions of what he saw in his sleep.

* * *

_In his dream, all that could be seen was the endless void. From out of the darkness came billions of small lights twinkling within its embrace.__Along with the jewel-like marvels emerged three glowing heavenly spheres. Amongst them, a large ball painted in both beautiful colors of green and blue, suddenly seemed to emit an unstable aura of energy in the same color. Lloyd saw the cause of the heavenly body's reaction as seven beams of intense, emerald-shaded light appeared from out of the endless black. The seven objects collided with the huge globe of blue-green which created explosions of smoke and fire all over its surface._

_His vision soon became engulfed in a blur of red-orange flames and gray smoke, trying to understand what was happening. He saw that amongst the fire and gray shroud were the ruins of a city with its citizens running in a panic. From what he could see on the inhabitants' faces, they all seemed to be so frightened that they would push and shove one another just to get away from whatever was terrifying them. Turning towards the source of the commotion, Lloyd saw an unusual and horrifying sight._

_What he saw was the shadowed form of a young man holding two swords glowing with energy. He could not get a good look at the mysterious attacker's description except for his weapons. The young male saw the twin blades glowing with a mystic radiance. Each weapon emitting its own individual color of light. One of the dual swords gave off an aura of fiery red orange while the other emitted a light blue light that seemed to give off an icy chill._

_When he tried to get a better look at the supposed attacker, Lloyd froze with terror for when he saw his partially concealed face.__What he saw were two, blue-colored irises that seemed to contain a spark of insanity within them. Both eyes also seemed to contain a familiar kind of hollow feeling that also seemed sad and angry. There was also a feeling that the young teen saw those type of orbs before - from a person that was once filled with the hope and determination for a world without violence or hatred._

_He became so mesmerized with the mysterious attacker's irises that he failed to notice a streak of white light colliding with one of the blades. The red flaming sword flew away from its holder's grasp and landed twenty feet away from where he was standing. Still trying to grasp what was happening, Lloyd found himself looking at another figure cloaked in shadows speeding past him and running towards the fiery red sword. Seeing the new arrival grabbing onto the weapon's handle, the young man gasped when he saw the mysterious visitor handling it with such skill and effort. The only distinguishing features that could be seen were the new warrior's long hair and brown eyes. The two irises reflected the light of a determined and kind person._

_Before pondering on to who the new stranger was, the Eternal Swordsman saw the previous figure charging towards the thief with one of its weapons. The holder of the flaming sword responded by charging towards his attacker with the blade in his hands, igniting it with silver white flames. Just before he could react, Lloyd saw the two opponents colliding with one another before bursting into a brilliance of white._

* * *

"Man, it's has been two months since the dreams began and every time they keep getting stronger. I'm sure glad that Sheena or any of the others aren't here to see this," the red clad young man said to himself while still shaking the after effects of the nightmare off of him.

Ever since starting their journey in collecting Exspheres, the path proved to be difficult for the duo. Having split from the rest of their companions, the two of them have had a rather smooth but difficult journey. Most of the places that they had entered seemed to praise and thank them for not only in destroying the Desian Human Ranches but also in saving the world. There were those, however, who not only shun him and his companions for their actions but also blame them for the unknown changes that the scholars in both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla could seem to find out, like the sudden changes in the environment and the growing gap between the people of the two different countries. Those that were against Tethe'allans have started forming a group called The Vanguard in order to counteract the advanced armies of their neighboring country. Just last week, Sheena had received a report from one of the ninjas from her village saying that the king wanted to have an audience with her in regards to the uprisings caused by most of the Martel Knights.

"I guess that I'm quite lucky seeing as I've found this quiet place. Away from all that's happening in the new world," the Eternal Swordsman thought out loud while at the same time eying at the stars. "It's been two years since reuniting the two worlds, yet things only end up getting worse. Both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla seem to find anything that's wrong with one another so as to start a war. I just hope that whatever Sheena's doing would help to improve the situation."

"Ha, ha, ha. The humans in this world act rather foolish for when failing to grasp changes beyond their understanding. Fear really is a powerful tool when wielded properly."

Lloyd almost jumped up in surprise as he begun to search for his uninvited guest. When turning his attention to the other side of camp fire, the twin blade master instinctively went for his weapons as he saw a cloaked figure perched while looking at the flames. Aside from seeing a tattered cloth wrapped around his body, the Eternal Swordsman could barely make out the rest of his visitor's description. When noticing the unknown stranger facing his direction, the young brunette could barely make out gentle and fierce looking red eyes looking straight at him. Lloyd tried to grab his weapons but froze was he is only able to grasp air.

"You may settle down, young man, for I mean you no harm," he heard the cloak shrouded stranger speak in a strong and gentle tone.

Lloyd began to slowly calm himself as he carefully kept his eyes on his unexpected guest. "Who are you, pal, and what do you want?" the young traveler said to his visitor while seeing him turning his hidden face towards the fire.

"_'Who,'_ you may ask?" was what Lloyd heard the stranger saying before the mystery figure continued in a mysterious and somewhat teacher-like tone, "_'Who'_ is but the form following the function of _'what',_ and _'what'_ I am is simply a wandering traveler in a dirty cloak."

The Eternal Swordsman became confused at his visitor's words just as he cautiously kept his gaze on the figure's cloaked form and spoke, "Uh, no offense, pal, but I do not understand what you just said. And what are you doing in a place like this anyway? It's pretty dangerous for anyone to be walking around in the middle of the night."

Lloyd heard his hidden guest chuckle heartily at the comment before the older man speak again, "Ha, ha. Your powers of observation astound me despite your low level intellect, young man. I'm just surprised that you didn't notice Noishe reacting at all to my presence here."

At those words, the young brunette immediately turned his attention towards the green furred creature. Much to his relief, the dog-like animal remained sleeping soundly, as if the older man's presence was not a bother to him at all. Upon further inspection, Lloyd could have sworn that Noishe looked rather content.

"The Protozoan are a unique species, wouldn't you agree?" he heard the mysterious visitor speak while becoming startled with his concealed form appearing near the dog-like animal. "They can live for thousands of your human years and evolve into a variety of different creatures. Just imagine all the events and wonders that your childhood pet has seen in his lifetime, young man."

Still shaken with the cloaked stranger's unseen movement, Lloyd immediately responded while trying to grip for his twin blades and failed, "H-H-How d-did you know that much about Noishe, pal? Just why are you even here anyway? Ugh! I hope that it's not a lecture! I get enough of those from Professor Sage as it is!"

Hearing a soft chuckle coming from his unseen mouth, the red clad teen heard the unknown traveler talk in a calm quiet manner while continuing to stroke the fur in-between Noishe's ear, "Then allow me to ask you a question; why is it that you are traveling all alone? Do you not have a companion that share her travels with you? Or is it because you fear of what might happen for when the energies of your crystal turn on you?"

Lloyd froze with what was spoken from the mysterious traveler right as he tried to understand what transpired. "How in the hell did you...?" is all that came from the young man's mouth before he felt his voice suddenly being silenced. Not knowing what was happening, Lloyd tried once again to speak but could not feel his voice passing through his throat. It did not feel like a sickness, but whatever was holding down his voice was constricting his throat from the inside. _"What the hell happened to my voice? I can't seem to make any sound come through," _the brunette thought to himself while trying to get his voice through his mouth.

"Do not bother wasting your energies trying to speak, Lloyd Irving," he heard the cloaked man speak, his tone never once faltering as he continued. "I have disrupted the vibrational patterns of your vocal cords so that I would be able to speak without interruption. What I am going to tell you must not be repeated to anyone other than your companions. And I would be sure to use small words so that you may understand."

The young swordsman felt irritated at being poked for at his lack of intellect right before his visitor continued talking, "Lloyd Irving, those dreams you just saw are mixtures of scenes from future events that have yet to come. As you saw, seven powerful cosmic forces will enter your world bringing chaos and confusion in their wake. Both the forces of Sylvarant and Tethe' alla would be lured by these energies, trying to exploit them for their own petty ends. I do not need to tell you the result, for you saw it for yourself. The Summon Spirits of your planet would be affected by these forces, but they are not the real cause of the conflict. The real threat comes from within the populace of your world."

Lloyd froze with widened eyes at what he had been told. His facial expression petrified in confusion as he tried to understand the information given to him. _"Wh-What the hell?! Just how is it that this guy knows all about my nightmares? And what does he mean for when he said that they're just a mix of events that have yet to happen? What about...?"_

The young swordmaster's thoughts came to a halt for when he heard the mysterious visitor's voice erupt, "I would suggest that you calm your thoughts, Lloyd Irving. Now, I must be brief, for my time is growing short. What you need to know is that a week from today, the current Pope of the Church of Martel is planning to expand its influence towards the people of Sylvarant and not to spread good faith. He is exploiting your name in order to gather supporters to amass an army to stand against the Vanguard created in opposing the Church and Tethe'alla. What his intentions are for this I cannot say. You could confront him with this information if you wish, but I could assure you that he will not tell you the whole truth.

"As for dealing with the coming of those cosmic forces, what you should need to know is that they are never meant to be in this world, for their great energies would also corrupt whoever has greed and evil intent in their hearts. You would need the help of beings who would soon arrive in your world under unusual circumstances. Beings that have powers and abilities that you nor your companions have ever seen. Most of them are experienced in handling and understanding the nature of these powerful forces and knowing how to contain their great energies. But also know that they would not be willing to share this information with anyone and would fight when provoked.

"The last detail that you need to be aware of is that crystal of yours, Lloyd Irving. A product of the mad Desian Cardinal's Angelus Project which contains the life essence of your mother who was the bride of the former Seraphim of Cruxis. A crystal that enabled you to reunite the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla to their original form. The very same object that allowed your 'angelic' traits to surface."

Lloyd could only gasp in shock at what he heard. The person right in front of him had spoken about personal matters and experiences that not many people should have known, along with a deep secret fear that he had been hiding, even from his close companions, since the reunification journey. The cloaked stranger continued to speak, with his tone still serious and stern.

"Know this well, Lloyd Irving. As long as your crystal continues to exist, the shadow of your past cannot be erased. The longer you stay attached to your mother's crystal, the stronger the shadow's influence becomes. Never allow that entity's voice to steer you away from the path that you have chosen for you and your world. But if you should falter in your resolve, know that the silver light will come and destroy that crystal of yours. He would also teach you on how to draw on a different source of power for your abilities. Farewell, Lloyd Irving, and hope that the next time we meet, it may be under better circumstances."

After hearing those words from his veiled mouth, Lloyd desperately made a reach for the unknown speaker. When his hand made contact with the shrouded entity's cloak, the brunette found himself stricken with surprise and fear as he pulled on the hood. All that the young traveling swordsman could see is nothing but air as he felt the rest of the speaker's body vanishing out of sight along with his head. Other than the dark article of clothing that he now held in his hands, Lloyd did not find any trace of the stranger's existence.

The brunette became so shocked at what just occurred that he did not notice Noishe beginning to awaken from his deep slumber. His arm still hanging in front of him while clutching onto the loose cloth in his hands. The only thought that registered through the Eternal Swordsman's mind were three words he spoke out loud to himself, "What the hell...?"

* * *

The young man did not know how to comprehend what he was seeing or experiencing at the moment. All that he could remember was closing his eyes in order to relax from recent stress, afterward finding himself in a white, endless void. This sort of experience was not something new to him, seeing that he had dealt with it in the past. But the young man found it somewhat irritating seeing that it happened in the most unexpected circumstances.

"Great, just as I was trying to relax and enjoy my Spring Break vacation, I get another visit from my mystical sponsor. I wonder what it has for me today. Probably another vision of a villain from an anime or game world who's stupid enough to stumble upon one of those loose dimensional rips. Whatever it is, I'll be sure that that menace gets a good ass kicking for disturbing my holiday with Sylphiel. Whenever I wake up from this dream that is."

The young man immediately began to look around his surroundings to see where he was. What the male dreamer saw next was not anything that he might have expected to see. In front of his eyes was the largest tree that he had ever seen. Amongst all the sights and wonders he had learned about and experienced, the young man had never beheld a wonder so large and spectacular.

"Whatever this thing is, it sure ain't a Christmas tree. Strange thing is I don't hear the voice of my unseen supporter speaking of another threat from that disgusting slime creature or any other creature from another dimension. Not that I've seen much action lately since my birthday. But the scene he set up feels less frightening than his previous prophecies. What sort of message is this?"

As he continued to stare at the huge and old looking sight of greenery, the dreamer heard the voice of a young yet mature sounding female speaking calmly, "The wise one nor any one of his companions has have anything to do with what you are witnessing at this moment, Miguel Arias."

Startled, the young man immediately turned his attention towards the base of the gigantic tree. What he saw was a human-like and crystalline creature that looked like a young and attractive woman sitting comfortably on one of the huge roots. The female's body seemed to shine with a mixture of gold and silver roaming around her entire form. From what the young man could see, she did not appear to have any clothing on, but she did not appear entirely nude either. Her hair flowed down her back like a waterfall of gold and silver. Aside from some noticeable, womanly features and a four-pointed red star on her forehead, the mysterious being seemed to be made from a liquid, metallic-like substance. To say that he was stunted at seeing such a stunting creature would be an understatement.

"Uh...Ahem! Excuse me miss, but are you the one who brought me here?" Miguel said while stuttering a bit at his visitor's appearance. "Er...look, honey, I know that you've went through a lot of trouble setting this all up, and I'm flattered. The thing is, I'm already taken out of the market by a beautiful young lady who would throttle me if she finds that I'm with you in your ever-loving glory. So where's the nearest exit or dream hole to this place?"

As a response to his words, the young male heard what appeared to sound like amused laughter coming from the mysterious female. Whatever he said seemed to amuse his unknown guest as he saw her levitating herself towards his direction. As she got closer, the teenager positioned himself into a fighting stance, as if to prepare for whatever trickery the female creature would throw at him. Just as he saw her stopping her advances towards him, Miguel heard her trying to subdue her laughter just as she spoke, "You certainly have become bolder than you were since our meeting, master. Your sense of humor has certainly matured along with the rest of your personality. But rest assured for I am not here to cause you harm or take you away from your beloved from one of the Golden Lord's realms."

At hearing those words, the young man froze. The information being cited to him was knowledge that most beings would not know about, especially the part of him dating a young woman from another plane of existence. The way that the female entity spoke gave him a feeling like she could read him like an open book. Miguel was not sure if he should be flattered or mortified.

"Okay, lady, I'm through with the nice guy routine. You either tell me what's going on or I'm walking outta here to find the exit on my own. So spill the beans already."

In response to his words, he heard the female entity chuckle heartily, seemingly unfazed as she spoke, "A bit brash and in a rush, are we? Then allow me to speak of why you're here in this place. Please take notice of the giant tree that you are viewing now. Now, close your eyes and clear your mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Tell me what it is that you see?"

Reluctantly, the young man did as he was told as he turned towards the huge tree, closed his eyes and began to concentrate on the task. The image he saw appeared to be like a forest-green aura of energy springing like a huge water fountain. The young man also took notice of the serene and warm sensation he felt coming from the ambience of energy. He also took notice of the neon-colored fountain beginning to shrink slowly, bit by bit. The young man was soon taken out of his meditative state by the female creature's voice as she spoke.

"Judging from the unusual expressions that you are making on your face that you saw the life force of this tree. Your skills in the area of the spiritual arts have indeed improved much since beginning your training. Much more than what your mentors could imagine."

Shocked and appalled, the young man started to speak impatiently to the metallic creature, "Okay lady, I've had it with all these riddles you've been spouting. Just cut to the chase and tell me why you brought me here. What's the point for me in seeing this huge tree's life energy dwindling away like a candle's flame?"

If it were possible to make out the expression on the creature's mouth less face, Miguel could have sworn that he saw her looking sad. Before he could apologize for his behavior, the young man began to hear his female host speaking as though unfazed by his harsh words, "_Sigh!_ Very well, master. I shall explain as to why you are in this place and why I was assessing your magical skills. All that I ask of you is to calm yourself and listen to what I have to say before you ask any more questions. Am I understood?"

Reluctantly, the young man nodded his head just as the metallic female spoke again in a serious and calm tone, "Hm, very well. Now allow me to share with you a brief history about a world that was once divided in two. The tree that you are gazing upon at this very moment is the source of all life for the inhabitants of that realm. It was brought by the elves who come from the moving comet Derris-Kharlan. From it, the life energy mana sprang forth and brought life into the dying planet where humans and other species sprang forth.

"Many millennia passed since the Giant Kharlan Tree's planting and both the humans and elves began to intermingle with one another, resulting in the birth of the half-elves. Since their coming, both sides feared and loathed the species for not only being half blooded but also possessing qualities that each side lacks. Most humans and elves do this out of jealousy, some out of unnecessary hatred and fear that has been passed down from parent to child, and others do it out of the foolish pride of being a pure blood race. _Heh!_ Those foolish enough to believe that philosophy are doomed to misfortune."

There was a moment of silence as Miguel began to wonder about his female speaker's tone for it sounded both sad and full of pity. However, the scene ended with the entity once again speaking with her tone returning to its normal state, "Now moving along, many centuries passed and technology advanced with the help of many scholars and scientists that used the energy of the Kharlan Tree to fuel their devices. All too soon, a great and terrible war erupted between opposing countries with the help of their technically advanced weaponry. This conflict drained the giant tree of its energy and nearly brought the planet on the verge of extinction. However, the efforts of a young half elven boy and his companions has put an end to the Great War by splitting the world into two separate realms using a sword that could accomplish great feats beyond human comprehension. Peace between the different countries and races would have started at that point.

"However, a human who just joined their group, murdered his older sister to claim the Great Seed's power for his country's ruler. His mind began to fill with sorrow and madness that fueled his anger towards the world that loathed him for being half-blooded. In desperation, he bound the young woman's spirit in the Giant Tree's seed to keep her from fading into nothing. With the aid of special crystals that could extend an organism's life span, he formed an organization that would influence the two worlds' mana flow and help to create a vessel suited for his sister's soul to inhabit. It nearly took over four thousand years in keeping the worlds separated as well as keeping the inhabitants ignorant of his true intentions. Intentions that would have turned every living creature hollow shells with their souls removed. His heart once filled with the pure intentions of uniting the world and its inhabitants corrupted to that of a tyrant.

"However, a group of eight warriors were able put a stop to his mad plot and united the two realms into a single planet. With the Great Seed planted to serve as the new mana-giving tree, the world is thought to go into a new age. Or that's what the heroes thought, which brings me to why you're in this realm to begin with, young master."

Upon hearing her finish the story, the young man could only stare blankly at what his mysterious visitor said to him. _"Okay, this definitely sounds serious. But it's not as though whatever happened on that planet should become my problem. I mean, for all I know it could be some power hungry idiot trying to prove he or she could do anything they want because they possess too much hot air for anyone's liking. Well, the babe in metal makeup could just forget about me playing hero for that world because I have a girlfriend who would end up waking me up in the most uncomfortable way if I don't get out of here."_

Finishing his thoughts, the young man turned his attention towards the female entity and spoke in a annoyed but composed tone, "Look lady, I'm not too sure what all this is about, but as far as I'm concerned you can forgot about telling me the reason behind your fairy tale. For all I know, all this could be some ploy to lure me into a trap for when I let my guard down. Last time I did that, I have made enemies with one of the most dangerous dark lords that puts a whole new meaning to the term "cold shoulder." Not to mention have a few sorcery guilds trying to enlist me to use or experiment on me thanks to my magical abilities. So if there's nothing that has something to do with the Chaos Emeralds going out of control or dimensional rips that leads to other realms, then say no more. So where's the exit to this place?"

While looking around the serene area, the young man could hear his female speaking chuckling in a tone that sound amused yet sympathetic. "It would seem to me that you are still a bit conflicted from your past experiences from these past three years, master. An obstacle that could be a hinder on your abilities unless you resolve them. But I'm afraid that it would be something that you would have to resolve on your own while on your quest."

At those words, the young man exclaimed both curious and surprised, "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait just a minute! Are you trying to tell me that I have no choice in the matter of going to that crazy world? Just what the hell is going on over there that's so bad that I have to get involved?"

"It's a situation that involves the forces of the Chaos Emeralds," the female creature responded in a calm tone while also chuckling softly. "From your reaction, I would say that you are taking the matter very seriously young master. Knowing full well of their nature, I would assume that you are aware of what happens to the world of my story for when its inhabitants learn of the gems and their power. In its current state, the planet's young sapling would wither away in the madness brought about by the emeralds' energies. The residents of that planet are not yet mature to receive such power and responsibility. The ancient war of their past is proof of that."

After hearing the metallic female finished speaking, the male teen sighed in defeat knowing what he just heard can't be ignored. "_Sigh! _Okay lady, let me see if I get this straight. You're telling me that one of the most powerful and unstable forces in the universe has somehow made their presence known to a world where the locals prove to be too much like little kids to understand and handle something beyond their comprehension. And unless something's done about it, they would end up throwing their world in total disaster. That it?"

"In a matter of speaking yes," the metal-looking creature responded while floating upward towards the top of the large tree. "However, the task itself is too huge for you to do alone. You would need to enlist the aid of your companions as well as the heroes of the realm of Aselia to accomplish this. They would need to have a better understanding of what they would be dealing with. Now I must be going, for my time with speaking to you is withering."

At hearing those words, Miguel quickly turned his gaze to the huge life giving tree. He became terrified at seeing the huge plant, which was healthy a moment ago, now reduced to a withered and weakened state. The branches looked dry from lack of water and proper care. The serene sensation that once surrounded the area was now replaced with an empty yet terrible feeling. He could even feel the life energy that the tree once emitted in order to support living things fading into nothing.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, the dreamer saw a small burst of flame igniting one of the tree's large roots. The tiny embers quickly grew to large infernos as the dry branches made it easier for them to spread. _"Oh that's just great! I suddenly went from talking to a beautiful mysterious female to watching a huge tree going up in flames," _the young man thought as he continued to watch the horrifying scene._"What else is going to happen? That woman telling me that I'm some sort of a Messiah destined to save the world? Talk about Clichés."_

As if reading his thoughts, the young man heard the voice of the nameless female echoing through his mind in a grave and urgent tone, "And know this, young master: I will not be with you in the upcoming battles on your quest. My physical form will be beyond your reach, but my spirit will aid you in the coming conflict. Any thoughts that you might have in regards to encounters during your journey, you could traverse to the hall of limbo to seek my wisdom and guidance. Also, you find that there are some details in my tale that I've left out which you must discover on your own. Keep in mind that as your journey progresses, you'll find that the truth can sometimes be painful. Farewell young master, and I hope that at our next meeting you will be able to give me a more appropriate name than the one you've learned from that mad sorcerer."

At those fading words, the young man became even more confused at what was said to him. "Whoa! Just what do you mean by that? Since when have we ever met long enough to speak let alone allow me to give you a name? Just who or what are you?"

While waiting for the humanoid creature to respond, the dreamer felt his surroundings getting hotter with each passing moment. Before he could figure out what was happening, the young man heard a noise that sounded like animal's cry of pain and anger. Shaken at hearing such a sound, Miguel turned towards its source. The young man became filled with an unexplainable fear as he saw a monstrous shadow leaping out toward him with its claws out. He could barely make out a set of sharp, feral teeth coming from its mouth right as it was about two feet from his face. The scene suddenly faded into darkness as he felt the monster's claws and fangs sinking into his flesh.

* * *

Miguel awoke from his slumber in fright, hoisting himself from his comfortable spot. He took a few moments to catch his breath while wiping the sweat off of his face with the back of his hand. Taking a moment to see how badly frightened he became from his outer bodily experience, the young man attempted to recall what he saw.

"Man, what a nightmare," he said softly to himself as he looked around his surroundings which was shrouded in darkness. "Just what kind of dream was it supposed to be? Whatever it is, I'm not too sure that one of those three powerful and omnipotent forces have something to do with it. Especially with that weird story that it told me. And what did that female creature mean as it talked about having met and known me? Yawn! Just...?"

The young man's quiet musings came to an end as he felt movement of another person's body shifting about. He then heard the exhausted murmurs of a young woman speaking, "Mmm. Miguel, are you alright? You should be getting some sleep for tomorrow. You won't be able to stay awake for our hike if you're not well rested."

Miguel smiled at recognizing the owner of the sweet voice. Even in the dark confined space they shared, he knew the angel that spoke in such a sweet manner. "_Yawn!_ Don't worry about me, Sylphy. Just had a nightmare that gave me the chills."

As if sensing his tension, the young man felt a pair of gentle slender arms wrap themselves around his shoulders from behind. Before he could speak, Miguel found himself being pulled into a gentle embrace by the young woman resting near him. "Mmm. Please try to get some sleep, my sweet angel," he heard the unseen but familiar female saying to him in a sweet, motherly tone while feeling her body snuggling closer to his. "You always make me worry when don't sleep next to me, and that doesn't allow me to relax knowing that something's bothering you."

The young man knew better than to argue with his female companion as he felt her body heat having a relaxing effect on him. He let out a relaxed and tired yawn as he gave in to his love's gentle embrace. "Okay. Okay, you win," Miguel spoke just as he snuggled deeper into the female's arms. "_Yawn!_ I'm too tired to argue with you on that, Sylph. Besides, I'm too warm and comfortable where I am now to even stay awake."

Hearing Sylphiel giggle at his response, Miguel snuggled into the maiden's arms just as he felt himself drifting back into his slumber. _"I'll be sure to tell Sylphiel all about that strange dream in the morning. Now's not the time to worry her about such a thing. Heh! Besides, I don't want her to feel jealous like she did for when I first saw Naga,"_ the young man thought right as he felt his mind slipping deeper into unconsciousness. _"But why is it that I still feel so uneasy about it? Just what's going to happen that involves me having to travel to that world while dragging my friends and love into it? Something tells me that this is more than just taking care of some loose dimensional holes."_

* * *

**AN:** Maurice is back and he's here to stay! After a long period of downtime and some new experiences, SR is finally up. I would like to thank everyone who has been very patient with me on getting this fic up and running. Believe me, it's not as easy as I thought it was years ago for when I announced it and it's taken a lot of hard work to do it. But thanks to some encouragement from both friends and family(as well as those online), I was finally able to get it running.

I would like to thank **NUTCASE1733**, **UK-Underworld King**, **neogs99**, **Peach Wookie**, **Gantzgun74**, and **Koinekid** for their help and support. There would be other OCs and characters in the next chapter/episode, so there would be others who deserve credit for making them. On a final note, I can't make any promises that I would get the next chapter up and running like most of you would expect. Please be patient for it takes time for me get the next chapter/episode up. And for ToS fans, I know the storyline and plot is a bit confusing, but it's the way I do most of my stories. Well, later and hope to hear good comments and constructive criticism from you all.

Maurice A. Nigma


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